Sag Harbor Cinema continued its “Projections” series on October 9th, 2023, from 1:00-3:00 pm with a free event featuring the Salvadorian-American artist J. Oscar Molina in conversation with Minerva Perez, Executive Director of OLA of Eastern Long Island; Esperanza León, Head of Education & Community Engagement at the LongHouse Reserve; Mago Martinez, Latinx artist, filmmaker, and diversity curator; and Cristina Cuomo, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of PURIST magazine, who moderated the panel.

The Cinema partnered with OLA of Eastern Long Island, Inc. (Organización Latino Americana), a nonprofit Latino-focused advocacy organization working in the five East End towns of East Hampton, Southampton, Riverhead, Southold, and Shelter Island, for this “Projections” program.

Before the panel discussion, there was a screening of “Children of the World” (2023), a 15-minute film that explores Molina’s history and art practice. The short documentary utilizes the artist’s work to illuminate the difficulties, struggles, and fears as well as the dreams, strength, and beauty of immigrants fleeing violence and poverty in their home countries to seek asylum and refuge in the United States. The documentary was directed by Marsin Mogielski and produced by Martinez.

“Politics, culture, and identity—how they intersect and interact with one another is what intrigues me,” says Molina. “I immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador yet, for me, a border is nothing more than a concept. I offer my art as a social practice, as an invitation to a much-needed conversation amongst diverse cultures. I believe that this exchange is the key to the preservation and evolution of our traditions—and it is this exchange that enriches each one of us and, as a result, our community.”

Featured photo: Sculptures from J. Oscar Molina’s Children of the World series currently on view at the LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, NY. Courtesy of J. Oscar Molina.